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KING LEAR.
(London: Ganymed Original Editions Limited, 1963). 472 x 363 mm. (18 1/2 x 14 3/4"). 4 p.l., 109, [3] pp. No. 151 OF 275 COPIES, SIGNED by the artist.
Publisher's stiff vellum, smooth spine with gilt lettering, marbled endpapers, edges untrimmed. In original (just very slightly worn) felt-lined gray buckram slipcase. With 16 lithographs by Oscar Kokoschka. Printed on handmade Crisbrook paper. Front pastedown with remnants of book label; de-accession letter from Carnegie Mellon University laid in at front. Front pastedown with small tear, no doubt from bookplate removal, otherwise as new.
This vast, beautifully printed edition of "King Lear" is illustrated by the great Expressionist artist, poet, and dramatist Oskar Kokoschka (1886-1980), vividly capturing the psychological intensity and emotional turmoil of Shakespeare's greatest tragedy. Created during the first few months of 1963, Kokoschka's drawings emphasize the grandeur, madness, and grief of Lear through bold, gestural lines and dramatic chiaroscuro. The series is a powerful and often unsettling reflection of the play's major themes of power, betrayal, and human vulnerability. Though he is now a firmly recognized major figure of the Viennese Expressionist movement, Kokoschka once was a decided outsider who frequently stirred controversy for the raw, disturbing intensity of his art. Figures in his compositions were often referred to as "corpse-like" in their appearance. Throughout his life, Kokoschka remained a provocative figure, defying aesthetic conventions and political pressures--especially during the Nazi era, when his work was labeled "degenerate art." The publisher of the present work was first established in Berlin in the early 20th century as "Ganymed Graphische Anstalt." Following its near total destruction during World War II, the press set up in London and continued to produce work characterized by the highest quality lithography. When the press closed in 1962, the company changed its name to Ganymed Original Editions, specializing in limited printings of works by contemporary artists. It continued operating until 1979, when it was taken over by the Medici Society. (ST20478)
Price: $2,500.00